Why You Should (Seriously) Consider a Weekday Wedding

Ok, we get it, when you first imagined your wedding day, you perhaps didn’t picture it taking place on a Monday. Thanks to the impact of Coronavirus, weekday weddings are about to get a whole lot more popular, but we’re going to let you in on a secret. A weekday wedding has some major benefits over a weekend celebration, and we actually think they’re a pretty awesome idea…

Let’s address the elephant in the room shall we? When hosting a weekday wedding, you will of course need to ask guests to take time off work in order to attend, and we know that this just isn’t an option for some. For those that can make it work, it’s definitely worth reminding guests that in return, they’ll get some much-needed time out to let loose at your amazing celebration. And it will be amazing, thanks to a wider choice of venues, suppliers and reduced costs that may mean you end up getting more for your money. Wedding win.

If you’re still not sure if a weekday wedding is for you, read on to find out why we think they’re more than worth considering.

1. You’ll Get More Choice

If you’re reading this because you’re postponing your wedding, it’s likely that you originally booked your suppliers way in advance in order to make sure you got your faves in the bag for your big day. Like you, many couples will have done the same, meaning that it may be tricky for you to secure both your venue and all of your favourite suppliers on a weekend date in the next year.

Thanks to Coronavirus putting all of our lives (and weddings!) on-hold, there will be even more nuptials taking place in the next year than average. And with late 2020 and early 2021 couples holding the Saturday spots, many spring and summer 2020 couples may find themselves having to compromise on dates.

It’s not all bad news, though. Opting for a weekday wedding could mean that your venue and suppliers are more likely to be available, allowing you to keep every element of your dream day. Even if one or two of your original suppliers are unable to make the new date, you’re much more likely to have a larger range of suppliers with availability to choose from on a weekday than weekend.

READ MORE: 12 Sweet Ways to Celebrate Your Original Wedding Date If You’ve Had to Postpone

2. You’ll Save Money

Opting for a weekday is one of the best ways to save money on your wedding venue. There is almost always a separate rate for weekend and weekday venue hire – in fact, sometimes the price difference is great enough to convince couples to wed on a Wednesday. Many wedding venues offer special weekday deals, allowing you to splurge what you’ve saved on something else to make your wedding (or honeymoon) even more amazing.

Some suppliers also offer discounted rates for weekday weddings so it’s always worth checking when you enquire.

Image: Matt Fox Photography

3. Your Guests Can Save Too

You won’t be the only one saving money. Most hotels and guest houses offer reduced tariffs on a weekday, and transport is often cheaper on a weekday so long as you avoid peak times, so guests could end up paying much less than originally anticipated.

Reduced accommodation rates often start on Sunday evenings and so a Monday wedding is actually a great choice (hear us out). Guests can travel to the area on Sunday and you can host a relaxed pre-wedding lunch or dinner before a Monday wedding. As they’ll be travelling to you at the weekend, they’ll only need to take the wedding day and the day after off, cutting down on that extra pre-wedding day away from work but still saving money on their stay.

READ MORE: 48 Awesome Ways to Entertain Your Wedding Guests

4. Your Wedding is Less Likely to Clash with Another Wedding

Hands up if you’ve been invited to two postponed weddings on the same Saturday *sticks hand in the air*. With many spring and summer couples moving their weddings to later in the year or early next year, the chances of a wedding clash have increased.

Cut down the chances of your guests having to choose between your nuptials and another couple’s by choosing a weekday wedding. Many couples who originally booked autumn or winter weddings will have chosen popular weekend dates and guests may already have committed to attending their celebration. Choosing a less popular (but no less awesome) date increases the likelihood of all of your loved ones being able to party with you.

The Dos and Don’ts of Planning a Weekday Wedding

• Do discuss the possibility of a weekday wedding with the guests that are most important to you first. Some people may raise concerns about their ability to get time off work (teachers spring to mind) and so it’s worth making sure they can make it work before booking. It may be that the solution is as simple as moving your date to a half term week, but you won’t know unless you make the call.
• Do sell the idea to guests. We get it, our annual leave is precious and with guests coming from further afield it could mean taking a day either side of the wedding to travel. Tell them about the reduced accommodation rates, encourage them to treat it as a mini-break, bribe them with your delicious wedding cake and explain how much it means to you to have them there.
• Do consider booking a ceremony later in the day. If some people are finding it really difficult to get time off, a later ceremony could allow them to travel on the day and cut down their time out of the office.
• Don’t allow negativity to get you down. Ok, this is easier said than done, but we promise that any friend worth having will do whatever it takes to attend your nuptials so don’t listen to that annoying colleague who thinks weekday weddings are a bad idea – the people who matter will be there.
• Don’t leave it too late to book. Just because weekday weddings generally mean more suppliers and venues are available, it doesn’t mean that the ones you want will definitely be free at the drop of a hat. Once you’ve confirmed the availability of your nearest and dearest, get on the phone to your suppliers and get your wedding in their diaries.
• Do give guests plenty of notice. Just like suppliers, guests will need notice too, so try to let them know your date at the earliest possible opportunity. They’ll be way more likely to be able to settle work arrangements and get accommodation booked if they’ve had a heads up.
• Do incorporate the weekend if you can. Monday wedding celebrations can start with pre-wedding dinner and drinks on Sunday and Thursday nuptials can spill into Friday brunch – an excellent start to the weekend! Pre and post-wedding arrangements could be the perfect opportunity for guests who are unable to attend the wedding to celebrate with you, meaning no one has to miss out.
• Don’t ditch a meaningful date if it’s extra important to you. Weekday weddings can be amazing for so many reasons but if your wedding was booked on a special date or anniversary then it is of course worth holding out to get it, even if it falls on a weekend.

Switching from a spring or summer wedding to an autumn celebration? You’ll love these gorgeous autumn wedding ideas.